Albania
: From Anarchy to Balkan Identityby Miranda Vickers, James Pettifer
Book Description: Situated between Greece on the south, the
former Yugoslavia on the north and east, and the Adriatic Sea on the west,
Albania is the country the world forgot.

Throughout this century, Albania has been perceived as primitive and
isolationist by its neighbors to the west. When the country ended fifty
years of communist rule in 1992, few outsiders took interest. Deemed unworthy
of membership in the European Union and overlooked by multinational corporations,
Albania stands today as one of the poorest and most ignored countries in
Europe.

Miranda Vickers and James Pettifer take us behind the veil of former
President Enver Hoxha's isolationist policies to examine the historic events
leading up to Albania's transition to a parliamentary government. Beginning
with Hoxha's death in 1985, Albania traces the last decade of Albania's
shaky existence, from the anarchy and chaos of the early nineties to the
victory of the Democratic Alliance in 1992 and the programs of the current
government. The authors provide us with an analysis of how the moral, religious,
economic, political and cultural identity of the Albanian people is being
redefined, and leave no question that the future of Albania is inextricably
linked to the future of the Balkans as a whole. In short, they tell us
why Albania matters.